Bottle carrier



W. RAPHAEL BOTTLE CARRIER KPH] 27, 1954 Filed Dec. 21, 1950 INVENTORWALTER RA PHAEL.

ATTOHRNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1954 .BOTTLE CARRIER Walter Raphael, NewYork, N. Y., assignor to General Patent Production 7 York, N. Y.

Company, New

Application December 21, 1950, Serial No. 201,944

6 Claims. (Cl. 294-8724) This invention relates broadly to carryingdevices and particularly pertains to bottle carriers, and is especiallyadapted for carrying bottles pro vided with bottle caps.

The rincipal object of this invention is to provide an efiective,simple, inexpensive device of this kind which will permit a quick andsimple association with the neck portions of several bottles when sodesired to permit their carrying, the device being so arranged that whennot in use for carrying bottles it may be collapsed in nested positionto be placed in a pocket or the ike.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bottle carrier madesubstantially completely from wire formed in a simple, inexpensivemanner, and wherein the handle-accommodating structure of the carrierconstitutes what may be termed a flattened loop having upper and lowerportions, and with which lower portion are rotatably associatedindividual bottle-engaging elements made of resilient wire, and whichelements are so arranged that they are superimposed upon one another,that they may be placed to any desired position in respect to oneanother and that they may be nested one on top of another in one plane,in which latter also the handaccommodating structure lies so that theentire device may be collapsed to a compact form to be placed into apocket or the like when not in use.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a bottle carrierhaving a looped handaccommodating structure composed of upper and lowerportions, and wherein the lower portion is provided with an aperture foraccommodating a suspension member, with which latterare rotat-f ablyassociated a plurality of individual bottleengaging elements in such amanner that they may be angularly positioned relative to one another andthat they can be nested in a single plane, and wherein each of theelements comprises an independent unit made of resilient wire, each unitbeing provided at one end with a loop for accommodating said suspensionmember, while atits other end are provided bottle gripping jaws, theseelements having two symmetrical legs which are normally adapted tospread from one another, and wherein means are provided to drawtheselegs together for gripping the neck end of a bottle. The foregoingand other important objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more fully apparent from the ensuing description, in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle carrier in accordance with thepresent invention, and shown in a position of suspending four bottles;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device with portions of the handle brokenoff but with the individual bottle carrying elements shown in nestedrelation to one another;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical perspective view of the principalconstituents of the bottle carrier;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental detail view showing one form of the gripping jawsof the bottle-engaging element in a position suspending a bottle by thebottle cap; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental detail view of another modified form of thegripping jaws of a bottleengaging element with the bottle-engaging ledgeformed difierently from that shown in Fig. 4.

In the drawings numeral l0 denotes the handle or the hand-accommodatingstructure of the device, which constitutes a substantially loop shaped,one-piece member having an upper flattened hand grip portion II and alower portion 12. In the lower portion there is provided an aperture l3,see Fig. 3, which aperture is formed, when the handle is made from wire,by a simple full loop I4. Through this loop or aperture l3 passes a pinI 5, preferably in the form of a rivet, or may be substituted by a screwor any other suitable instrumentality, not shown, the latterconstituting the suspension member for the individual bottle-engagingelements indicated at l6.

These elements, an example of which is clearly seen in Fig. 3, arepreferably made of resilient wire. At one end of the wire structurethere is provided a loop H for accommodating suspension member l6, andfrom that loop extend two symmetrically arranged bowed portions l8,normally assuming, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a substantiallyhorizontal position. From these bowed-out portions is there extenddownwardly and angularly two substantially straight leg portions ill, atthe ends of which are provided oppositely disposed indentations 20, anddepending from these indentations extend downwardly gripping arms 2|provided with bottle gripping jaws 22. These gripping jaws preferablycomprise curved, substantially vertical strips, the curvature of whichcorresponds to that of the usual bottle cap. The lower edges 23 of thegripping jaws are directed inwardly and may either assume channel-shapedforms, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, for engaging the edge of a bottle cap,or

they may assume a knife-like formation 23' as shown in Fig. 5, whichlatter formation adapts itself to gripping either the edge of the bottlecap or any indented portion of the bottle proper, as indicated in thatfigure.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 the gripping jaws illustrated are relativelyshort, however, the gripping jaw seen in Fig. 5 is much longer and isintended to encircle a major portion of the bottle crown or bottle neck,and therefore the structure shown in Fig. 5 represents a preferred formof the jaw.

Operative over the straight leg portions 19 of the bottle-engagingelements is a jaw-tightening ring 24, which, when the jaws are to engagethe narrow portion of a bottle or the bottle top, is brought downwardlyto an interlocking position with indentations 25, whereby jaws 22 arefirmly held against the bottle neck body.

When all of the individual bottle-engaging clips or elements are passedby way of their loops 11 over suspension member 55, the lower end of thelatter is either formed into a head, as indicated at 25 in Figs. 1 and2, after a washer 26 is placed under the lowermost bottle-engagingmember, or, when a screw is used a nut may be secured to the lower endof suspension. member l5. At any rate the ends of the suspension membermust be broad enough to afiord secure suspension of the individualbottle-engaging elements.

As may be observed from Fig. 1, the bottleengaging elements may beplaced in any desired position relative to one another to engageindividual bottles to be carried. Obviously each of the individualbottle-engaging members is rotatably suspended from suspension member 15and thus is rotatably suspended in respect to handle Hi.

When the device is not in use it may be 001- lapsed with the clipsnested, as shown in Fig. 2, so that all of the bottle-engaging membersbecome disposed within a single plane, which plane preferably coincideswith the longitudinal center plane of handle [0.

While in the foregoing a specific structure of the instant device hasbeen described in conjunction with the drawings, it is to be understoodthat changes and improvements may be incorporated therein, withoutdeparting from the broad scope thereof. Thus, for instance, the numberof individual bottle-engaging elements may be increased or decreased,and the specific structure shown may be altered to facilitate moreefficient production. Similar modifications may be made in the handle,which, if desired, may be produced from other material than wire, inwhich case loop is may be replaced by a simple aperture.

Changes and modifications as indicated above may be considered residingwithin the scope of the present invention as covered by the annexedclaims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a bottle carrier, a onepiece, substantially loop-shaped handlehaving a flattened upper hand grip portion and a full loop beneath thelatter, a suspension member lodged in and depending from said full.loop, a plurality of individual bottle-engaging elements arranged oneabove the other, each of elements having superimposed like portionsformed for the passage therethrough of said suspension member so thatthey are rendered individually rotatable about said suspension member.

2. In a bottle carrier according to claim 1, and wherein saidbottle-engaging elements comprise resilient jaw structures having asubstantially horizontally disposed loop formation constituting thejuncture of two cooperating jaws, said suspension member passing throughthe loop formation of all jaw structures so that the latter depend fromsaid member, each of said cooperating jaws comprising a pair ofsubstantially horizontal, bowed-out portions extending from said loopformation and substantially vertically disposed straight leg portionsforming continuations of the bowed-out portions, indentations at thelower ends of said straight leg portions, and gripping arms extendingfrom these indentations and terminating in bottle-gripping members.

3. In a bottle carrier according to claim 1, and wherein saidbottle-engaging elements comprise resilient jaw structures having asubstantially horizontally disposed loop formation constituting thejuncture of two cooperating jaws, said suspension member passing throughthe loop formation of all jaw structures so that the latter de pend fromsaid member, each of said cooperating jaws comprising a pair ofsubstantially horizontal, bowed out portions extending from said loopformation and substantially vertically disposed straight leg portionsforming continuations of the bowed-out portions, indentations at thelower ends of said straight leg portions, and gripping arms extendingfrom the indentations and terminating in bottlegripping members, andwherein the latter consist of curved, substantially vertical strips withinwardly and upwardly directed lower edges.

4. In a bottle carrier according to claim 1, and wherein saidbottle-engaging elements comprise resilient jaw structures having asubstantially horizontally disposed loop formation constituting thejuncture of two cooperating jaws, said suspension member passing throughthe loop formation of all jaw structures so that the latter depend fromsaid member, each of said cooperating jaws comprising a pair ofsubstantially horizontal, bowed-out portions extending from said loopformation and substantially vertically disposed straight leg portionsforming continuations of the bowed-out portions, indentations at thelower ends of said straight leg portions, and gripping arms extendingfrom the indentations and terminating in bottle-gripping members, andwherein the latter consist of curved, substantially vertical strips withinwardly and upwardly directed lower edges, and wherein said inwardlydirected lower edges of the bottle-gripping members form channels withupwardly directed inner edges.

5. In a bottle carrier according to claim 1, and wherein saidbottle-engaging elements comprise resilient jaw structures having asubstantially horizontally disposed loop formation constituting thejuncture of two cooperatng jaws, said suspension member passing throughthe loop for mation of all jaw structures so that the latter depend fromsaid member, each of said cooperating jaws comprising a pair ofsubstantially horizontal, bowed-out portions extending from said loopformation and substantially Vertically disposed straight leg portionsforming continuations of the bowed-out portions, indentations at thelower ends of said straight leg portions, and gripping arms extendingfrom the indentations and terminating in bottle-gripping members, andwherein the latter consist of curved, substantially vertical strips withinwardly and upwardly directed lower edges, and wherein said inwardlydirected lower edges or the bottle-grippin members form knife-likeformations with upwardly directed inner edges.

6. In a bottle carrier according to claim 1, and wherein saidbottle-engaging elements comprise resilient jaw structures haying asubstantially horizontally disposed loop formation constituting thejuncture of two cooperating jaws, said sus pension member passingthrough the loop formation of all jaw structures so that the latterdepend from said member, each of said cooperating jaws comprising a pairof substantially horizontal, bowed-out portions extending from said loopformation and substantially vertically disposed straight leg portionsforming continuations of the bowed-out portions, indentations at thelower ends of said straight leg portions, and gripping arms extendingfrom the indentations and terminating in bottle-gripping members, andwherein 6 the latter consist of curved, substantially vertical stripswith inwardly and upwardly directed lower edges, and whereinjaw-adjusting rings embrace the said straight leg portions and are adapted to engage said indentations to hold said bottlegripping members inbottle-engaging position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,151,163 Cedarholm Aug, 24, 1915 2,380,136 Whitney July 10,1945 2,522,243 Wieland Sept. 12, 1950 2,536,246 Wendt Jan. 2, 1951

